MSI FX600 Lightweight Multimedia Notebook

7. Conclusions

MSI attempts to give us MacBook Pro style and performance at half the price. We look for clues of compromise and cut corners, and find fewer than expected.

The FX600 is a well-balanced notebook at a reasonable price. It will work well for general productivity and/or school work at home, in the office, or on the go, but don’t expect to spend extended amounts of time away from a plug.

It’s also well suited for heavier computing tasks with its powerful Core i5 processor and respectable GT325M. Things like 3D modeling, photo editing, and video editing shouldn’t be a problem, assuming you can look past the mediocre display. As powerful as it is, it’s not quite enough to make a solid gaming machine, but it is capable of playing modern games on reduced settings.

We’ve chosen five primary criteria to rate the FX600: Design, Usability, Performance, Audio/Video, and Price. In terms of design, the FX600 is fairly average in style and durability, but gets some extra points for its light weight and textured surface.  Usability takes a bit of a hit due to poor battery life for multimedia and its awkward touch pad, but is averaged out by other features, like the full number pad and HD webcam. The FX600 scores high points in performance with its Core i5 CPU, but its video card, while satisfactory, could stand to be a bit more powerful. Audio is outstanding, but paired with a sub-par display, Audio/Video takes scores only slightly above average. 

While it is about as powerful as a MacBook Pro and at half the price, the FX600 does fall a bit short in build quality (though only slightly) and style. It’s definitely not ugly, and its textured surface has its advantages. With its surprisingly high audio quality and additional features, it really does make up for its shortcomings, making its $899 price tag very appealing.